Pamela Isley's Character Thread

[PamelaIsley]

I intend to post all my Hero System characters here. I don't plan on doing too many, but I do love to create characters. (All I do with M&M is convert DC characters).

 

This thread will be mostly original creations for the Champions universe that I hope to some day use as PCs. It might also serve as a way to build characters in case I ever GM. There will probably be a few conversions of existing comic characters.

 

Feedback is always welcome. My skills with this system are very limited.

 

One day, this first post will probably be edited to become an index.

[PamelaIsley]

Bluebird

 

Bluebird

Total: 400

STR 13, 12-, 2½ D6, 150

DEX 18, 13-

CON 18, 13-

INT 18, 13-

EGO 13, 12-

PRE 18, 13-, 4d6

 

OCV 9

DCV 9

OMCV 3

DMCV 3

 

SPD 6

 

PD 8

ED 8

 

REC 15

END 85

 

BODY 10

STUN 40 Total Cost: 192

 

Skills & Talents

Overall Skill Level +1 (12)

Acrobatics 13- (3)

Deduction 13- (3)

Inventor 13- (3)

Language (French, Fluent) (2)

Scientist (3)

SS: Biology 15- (4)

SS: Biochemistry 14- (3)

SS: Chemistry 14- (3)

High Society 13- (3)

Stealth 13- (3)

Eidetic Memory (5)

Striking Appearance (Attractive, 2d6) (6)

Environmental Movement, Ice (2)

 

Total Cost: 55

 

 

Powers

Ice Multipowers (75 points reserve, Unified -1/4); 60

Ice Blast (Blast 12d6, Half End, +1/4); 6f

Ice Bonds (Entangle, 7d6, 7 PD / 7 ED, Vulnerable to Fire and Heat, -1); 3f

Ice Cone (Blast 10d6, Cone +1/2, No Range -1/2); 4f

Ice Blast II (Blast 10d6, No End +1/2); 6f

Hail Storm (Blast 6d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +¾), Indirect (Source

Point is always from above target +1/4, Half End +1/4); 5f

Killing Ice Blast (RKA 4d6, ED); 5f

Ice Sheet (Change Environment, -6 Dex for Surface Movement, Radius 32 M, +1, Half End, +1/4); 3f

Ice Wall (Barrier, 10m long, 4m high, 1/2m thick, 15 Body, 10 PD / 10 ED, Configurable +1/4, Ablative -1/2, Vulnerable to Fire and Heat, -1); 3f

Ice Shield (Resistant Protection, 10 PD / 10 ED, Costs End -1/2, Unified, -1/4) PLUS (Resistant Protection, 10 PD / 10 ED, Costs End -1/2, Ablative -1/2, Unified -1/4); 30

Flight (30M, Unified -1/4); 24

Life Support (Immunity to Intense Cold, Longevity:2); 4

 

Total Cost: 153

 

 

Matching Complications

 

Secret Identity (April Isley, Frequent, Major) 15 points

Vulnerability (Fire, 1.5 Body Damage, Common) 10 points

Rivalry (Fellow Grad Student for grants) 5 points

Psychological Limitation (Overconfidence, Very Common, Moderate) 15 points

Distinctive Feature (Mutant, Not Concealable, Always Noticed, Only Detectable with Unusual Sense) 10 points

Hunted (Viper, More Powerful, NCI, Imprison/Kill) 20 points

 

Total: 75 points

 

 

Background: The sole daughter of a wealthy couple from New England, April Isley was a precocious child that spent her summers in France and her winters in Aspen. Treated to the best of everything and blessed with extraordinary good looks as she matured, April graduated with honors from Millennium City University. She became a research assistant in the school’s biology program and worked with the brilliant, but unstable Dr. Maxima de Winter.

 

De Winter was convinced that she could unlock the secrets of immortality by slowing down a person’s metabolism. Her research was condemned by her peers and even scoffed at by her skeptical assistant. As a result, de Winter ultimately decided to test her experimental procedure on April.

 

The injections de Winter gave April either mutated the young woman or awakened a latent mutation, because they certainly changed Isley into something new. April began to shoot streams of ice when she awoke while de Winter was conducting tests. This complication frightened de Winter, who fled, taking all of her notes with her and destroying most evidence of the procedure. April thought about going to the authorities, but decided to conceal the results. She didn’t want to be seen as a “freak” by her peers and scientists.

 

Eventually April realized that the transformation might be a blessing. The more she learned about her powers, the more impressed she became. Not only could she probably make an entire scientific career out of studying her own body, she realized she might be one of the most powerful superhumans in the city. As a means of testing her powers, she designed a costume and began to call herself Bluebird. Her first forays into crimefighting involved simply thwarting street thugs and the occasional robbery, but her increasing confidence led to her challenging the schemes of a local VIPER nest.

 

Bluebird finds herself at a crossroads. Very protective of her secret identity, she is wary of working too closely with other superheroes, but she finds herself having to admit that might be necessary to further explore the bounds of her powers safely.

 

Personality: Prior to her transformation, Bluebird was a fairly vain, confident, and cold person, capable of being charming, but usually not bothering to make the effort. If anything, the manifestation of her powers has only made her a bit icier. Although her own ideas about personal conduct would probably preclude her from ever being a supervillainess, April lacks the self-sacrificing personality that characterizes many heroes. Although not a leader, she is not a particularly effective follower and her cooperation with other heroes has not been very successful. April has always been hyper-competitive and refuses to believe that she is second best in anything. This makes her a somewhat pouty loser on the few occasions she is beaten, and it also makes her more than a little cutthroat about everything from school performance, to research grants, or even just games of chess or cards. Bluebird likes to believe that she will do whatever it takes to stop a villain or crime, but it remains to be seen whether this would ever rise to using lethal force. Her overconfidence and her desire to always appear to be in the right probably would make her think very seriously before crossing over into outright vigilantism.

 

Powers: Bluebird depends primarily on her ability to project blasts of ice. She is capable of creating ice blasts than can be lethal, freeze a target in place, or affect a wide, cone-shaped area. She also has the ability to create an ice shield for additional protection, freeze the ground to create a slippery sheet of ice, and erect ice barriers. Bluebird’s low body temperature grants her immunity to intense cold and her slowed metabolism has granted her a degree of longevity, something she has only been able to confirm in theory. Also, for reasons she hasn’t quite been able to explain, the experiment that mutated Bluebird also granted her the ability to fly. She has yet to discover any limits on this ability, but it ultimately inspired her bird-themed motif.

 

Appearance: April Isley is an attractive young woman in her early 20s with an eye-catching figure, bright blue eyes, and very light blonde hair that she usually wears pulled back in a ponytail. Since the manifestation of her powers, her skin tone remains pale and very cold to the touch year round. As Bluebird, April wears a light blue costume that appears as a long sleeved minidress with a white belt. The outfit is accented by a white scalloped cape, white heeled boots, and long white gloves. Her mask is blue, with white panes that do not reveal her eyes. While Bluebird, April also uses her powers to make her hair appear white.

 

Edit: Revised characteristics and powers.

[PamelaIsley]

Amethyst

 

Amethyst

Total: 400

 

STR 15, 12-, 3d6, 200

DEX 18, 13-

CON 18, 13-

INT 13, 12-

EGO 13, 12-

PRE 23, 14-, 5d6

 

OCV 9

DCV 9

OMCV 3

DMCV 4

 

SPD 6

 

PD 8

ED 8

 

REC 13

END 70

 

BODY 10

STUN 50 Total Cost: 195

 

Skills & Talents

Acting 14- (3)

Charm 14 -(3)

Computer Programming 12- (3)

Power Skill: Energy Multipower 13- (3)

Striking Appearance (Attractive, +1d6) (3)

 

Total Cost: 15

 

Powers

Energy Burst (Blast 14d6, Radius 32M +1, Personal Immunity +1/4, No Range -1/2, 1 Charge -1, Unified -1/4); 57

Energy Multipower (60 point reserve, Unified -1/4); 48

Energy Blast (Blast 12d6); 5f

Energy Blast (Blast 8d6, No End +1/2); 5f

Energy Flash (Flash 8d6, No End +1/2); 5f

Energy Absorption (Absorption 10 Body, Energy to End); (10)

Energy Shield (Resistant Protection 20 ED / 20 PD, Costs End -1/2); 40

Flight (Flight 25 M, Unified -1/4); 20

 

 

Total Cost: 190

 

Matching Complications

Psychological Limitation (Code v. Killing, Common, Total) (20)

Psychological Limitation (Vengeful, Uncommon, Strong) (10)

Social Limitation (Secret Identity, Lilith Violet, Frequently, Major) (15)

Energy Aura (Not Concealable, Always Noticed, Detectable Only with Unusual Senses) (10)

Hunted (NSA, Infrequently, More Powerful, NCI, Capture) (20)

 

Total: 75 points

 

 

 

 

Background: Lilith can’t remember her early childhood. Her earliest memories are of being among a group of adolescents at a special school run by the NSA. The project, run by a Major Robert Anderson, was designed to create a special team of government-backed superhumans for less than savory missions. Anderson, driven by a fear and fascination with metahumans, believed that it would be easier to control superhumans if the indoctrination began at an early age.

 

Unfortunately for Anderson’s program, whatever method was being used to grant superpowers to the children was largely a failure. Only Lilith showed any signs of having extraordinary abilities and those were very slow to develop. The girl could project small bolts of purple energy and was capable of limited flight. The major turned his attention to recruiting existing superhumans, both heroes and villains, for his team and most of Lilith’s “classmates” were deported to various orphanages around the country. Anderson’s shadowy sponsors within the government finally lost patience when Lilith was eighteen, ordering the major to “close down operations.”

 

Lilith knew instantly that something was wrong when several soldiers arrived at her small room. In a moment of pure panic, she was able to channel an enormous amount of energy and release it in a burst. The soldiers were incapacitated and a large section of the wall was destroyed. In an instant she escaped the facility and flew as far as she could before nearly collapsing.

 

The next few years were a struggle for Lilith as she wandered the country, ending up in Millennium City. She had no identity and no home. Her powers grew, but they were oriented around projecting energy blasts and shields. None helped her find a job or even food to eat. As she grew more desperate becoming a criminal seemed her only option. Donning a purple jumpsuit and a mask, she reluctantly resolved on robbing a bank. It wasn’t original, but Lilith was hardly a master planner. When she arrived at her chosen target, however, it had already been taken over by a group of armed men. These robbers took hostages and threatened to kill them unless they were allowed to escape and a random was paid. This angered Lilith and she attacked the surprised robbers. They were easily defeated. Lilith fully intended to go through with her plan, but she suddenly found herself being thanked as a hero. When people began quizzing her on who she was she blurted out the name “Amethyst” based on the color of her energy blasts.

 

Amethyst’s life changed that day. She found being a heroine suited her. But, she couldn’t be a heroine all the time and she had no regular identity. She didn’t even have a last name. So in addition to her heroic identity of Amethyst, she created the identity of Lilith Violet. Having never had a regular life before, Lilith Violet found even the most menial of jobs new and fascinating, and found herself working in a variety of temporary jobs (mostly as a courier or messenger). It was during one of these jobs that her looks attracted the attention of a stage producer. Lilith suddenly found herself working as an actress, something that seemed to come natural to her. Her appearance and presence helped to find just enough steady acting work to pay for a small apartment. All the elements of a normal life were falling into place.

 

Despite the thrill of a regular life, Lilith couldn’t give up being a heroine. Using her powers gave her a rush and fighting criminals allowed her to vent some of the rage and frustration that had built up over the government’s treatment of her. Her Amethyst identify, however, attracted the attention of Anderson and his allies in the NSA. NSA teams tried to capture Lilith twice while she was operating as Amethyst, much to their regret. The agency’s persistence has only darkened Amethyst’s views of her early years.

 

As a hero, Amethyst is very inexperienced. Her activities to date have been limited to fighting street crime, testing her powers against the occasional super-powered thug, and rescues. She has yet to fight a true supervillain. She also hasn’t really cooperated with other heroes in the Millennium City area and she assumes that she’s totally unknown to them. In the future, she has vowed to find out more about her past, who she really is, and where her powers come from. For now, though, Lilith is simply trying to enjoy as much of her freedom and “regular” life as she can.

 

Personality: Lilith Violet appears to be a charming, outgoing young woman who is sometimes too serious. This is largely true, but Lilith also can be quite vengeful towards those that have wronged her or those that hurt innocents. Most of her hatred is directed towards the NSA and Major Anderson, but some of this spills over into a distrust of the government. Violet is prone to believing the worst about authority figures and always gives at least a little credence to even the wildest conspiracy theories. Because of her strange childhood, Lilith can sometimes appear awkward or at a loss in some social situations, but she usually is able to pass these moments off humorously. Although very inexperienced, Lilith is a natural actress and she is becoming very accustomed to playing different parts, both professionally and socially. When she is Amethyst, Violet’s personality and tone seem to have a harder edge. Since both her superhero and secret identities are her own creation, Lilith tends to struggle with issues related to which personality is the facade and which is her true self.

 

Powers: Amethyst is an energy projector. Her body is capable of projecting bursts of energy in the form of blasts, flashes of light, and protective shields. The energy Amethyst projects is a bright purple color, from which she derives both her heroic name and her surname, Violet. Once per day, Amethyst is also capable of releasing a powerful burst of energy, similar to the one she used to escape from the government. Outside of energy projection, Amethyst can absorb some energy and use that to increase her endurance. She is also capable of extended flight, leaving behind a purplish trail as she moves.

 

Appearance: Amethyst is a fairly tall, attractive brunette with a shapely figure and pale purple eyes. Her costume has changed several times during her brief crimefighting career, but she has now settled on a suit that appears to be a low cut strapless one-piece bathing suit. She wears opera gloves and knee high boots, along with a small mask. The entire outfit is a purplish blue in color and this version leaves her long hair free.

[PamelaIsley]

Batgirl

 

Batgirl

Total: 175

 

STR 10, 11-, 2d6, 100

DEX 20, 13-

CON 10, 11-

INT 20, 13-

EGO 13, 12-

PRE 13, 12- , 3d6

 

OCV 5

DCV 5

OMCV 3

DMCV 3

 

SPD 3

 

PD 6

ED 6

 

REC 6

END 35

 

BODY 10

STUN 30 Total Cost: 84

 

Skills & Talents

Combat Skill Level +1 (Ranged) (8)

Acrobatics 13- (3)

Breakfall 13- (3)

Criminology 13- (3)

Deduction 13- (3)

KS: Library Science 13- (3)

KS: Kung Fu 13- (3)

PS: Librarian 13- (3)

Shadowing 13- (3)

Stealth 13- (3)

Access (Gotham Library) (3)

Contact (Commissioner Gordon, 11-, Limited by Identity -1, Extremely Useful +3, Good

Relations +2, Access to Major Institution +1, Significant Contacts +1) (8)

Contact (Batman, 11-, Extremely Useful +3, Significant Contacts +1) (6)

Eidetic Memory (5)

Striking Appearance (Attractive, +1d6) (3)

 

Martial Arts

Cost Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort

4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm, +10 STR

4 Dodge +0 +5 Dodge all attacks, Abort

4 Escape +0 +0 +15 STR vs. Grabs

5 Kick -2 +1 STR +4d6 Strike

3 Legsweep +2 -1 STR +1d6, Target Falls

4 Punch +0 +2 STR +2d6 Strike

3 Throw +0 +1 STR +v/5, Target Falls

 

Total Cost: 91

 

Typical Equipment

Batarang (Blast 4d6, 0 Endurance +1/2, OAF -1, Real Weapon -1/4, Range Based on Strength -1/4); (12)

Flashlight (Sight Group Images, +4 to PER Rolls, Area Of Effect 1m

Radius +¼, OAF -1, Only To Create Light -1, No Range -½) (8)

Handcuffs (Entangle 3d6, 3 BODY, 6 PD/ 6 ED, Takes No Damage From

Attacks +½, OAF -1, Hands Only -1,Doesn’t Prevent Use Of Accessible Foci -1, No

Range -½, Must Follow Grab Or Target Must Be Willing -½, 1 Recoverable Charge -1¼,

Can Be Escaped Automatically With Modified Lockpicking Or Contortionist Roll -½) (10)

Smoke Grenades (Darkness to Sight Group 6m radius,12 Charges lasting 5

Minutes each, cleared away by high winds, rain, or the like +¾, OA F -1, Ranged Based

On STR -¼) (23)

Lockpick (Lockpicking 12-, OAF -1) (4)

Bolos (Entangle 6d6, 6 Body, 6 PD / 6 ED, OAF -1, Legs Only -1, Doesn’t Prevent Use of Accessible Foci -1); (15)

Grapple Gun (Swinging 16M, OAF -1, Extra Time: Full Phase -½) (3)

 

Matching Complications

Hunted (Killer Moth, As Powerful, Infrequently, Kill/Imprison) (10)

Psychological Limitation (Self-Doubt, Uncommon, Moderate) (5)

Psychological Limitation (Code v. Killing, Common, Total) (20)

Social Limitation (Secret Identity, Barbara Gordon, Frequently, Major) (15)

 

Total: 50 points

 

 

 

 

Notes: This is my take on Batgirl. It's mostly a blending of the Animated Series version with the presentation in Batgirl Year One. I built her mostly as an exercise for creating a heroic character based on equipment.

 

Special thanks to cptpatriot for help in chat on this creation.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

For the Batarangs, you might want to consider Recoverable Charges, unless she only has one that automatically returns. Same thing with the Bolos.

 

Batgirl's CON (10) seems awful low for someone getting into fights. She'll be Stunned more often than not.

 

I like the one-charge big blast on Amethyst.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Thanks.

 

I talked about whether the batarang or bolos should be limited by charges in the chatroom a bit and the consensus seemed no. I can't imagine Batgirl actually running out of batarangs during a fight. The counter-argument, of course, is that Batman and Batgirl-types don't really stand at range and fire dozens of batarangs during a typical encounter, so perhaps they are limited.

 

A slight increase in CON might make sense. I think Batgirl primarily should be built as someone who should avoid getting punched rather than can take a hit herself.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Thanks.

 

I talked about whether the batarang or bolos should be limited by charges in the chatroom a bit and the consensus seemed no. I can't imagine Batgirl actually running out of batarangs during a fight. The counter-argument, of course, is that Batman and Batgirl-types don't really stand at range and fire dozens of batarangs during a typical encounter, so perhaps they are limited.

That's cool. As I said, it was something to consider.

A slight increase in CON might make sense. I think Batgirl primarily should be built as someone who should avoid getting punched rather than can take a hit herself.

Even a 13 CON would reduce the number of times she gets Stunned. I agree, she shouldn't be a hand-to-hand powerhouse. Maybe a slightly higher DCV instead? Unless she's using her martial dodge a lot, she's gonna get hit and Stunned far too often as-is.

[Beast]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I'd say they all look to be reasonable characters for the levels of play they look to be made for

 

repped

[Burrito Boy]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

You're original characters are great, especially Amethyst.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Thanks for all the compliments.

 

I actually like Bluebird better, but Amethyst turned out very well.

 

I'm in a muddled state now, with a couple of ideas in various unfinished states. I'd like to do a vampire or a paragon/patriot-type next. But I also have another projector that is closer to being done.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Handcuffs (Entangle 3d6, 3 BODY, 6 PD/ 6 ED, Takes No Damage From

Attacks +½, OA F -1, Hands Only -1,Doesn’t Prevent Use Of Accessible Foci -1

 

the limitation seems to great for the effect

I suppose in the Batman Universe many villain have foci

but the entangle power itself is greater than just stopping characters from using foci

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

The handcuffs are just copied from the 6E rules, p. 219.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I figured the entangle might be

 

I'n guessing the entangle individuals DCV is not reduced to 0

[PamelaIsley]

Flamewave

 

Flamewave

Total: 400

 

STR 15, 12-, 3d6, 200

DEX 18, 13-

CON 18, 13-

INT 13, 12-

EGO 18, 13-

PRE 18, 13-, 4d6

 

OCV 9

DCV 9

OMCV 3

DMCV 3

 

SPD 6

 

PD 8

ED 8

 

REC 15

END 80

 

BODY 10

STUN 40 Total Cost: 192

 

Skills & Talents

Charm 14- (5)

Conversation 13- (3)

Criminology 12- (3)

High Society 13- (3)

Persuasion 13- (3)

Stealth 13- (3)

PS: Fire Multipower 13- (3)

Striking Appearance (Attractive, 1d6) (3)

 

Total Cost: 26

 

Powers

Life Support (Immunity to Intense Heat); 2

Fire Immunity (Desolidification 40, Only to Protect Against Fire -0, Unified -1/4); 32

Fire Multipower (75 reserve points, Unified -1/4); 60

Fire Blast (Blast 12d6, ½ End +1/4); 7f

Fire Burst (Blast 10d6, 8M Radius +1/2, No Range -1/2); 5f

Blinding Spark (Flash 10d6, 0 End +1/2); 7f

Intense Fire Blast (RKA 4d6, ½ End +1/4); 7f

Fire Field (Resistant Protection 16 PD / 16 ED, Unified -1/4); 38

Fire Flight (30M, Unified -1/4); 24

 

Total Cost: 182

 

Matching Complications

Psychological Limitation (Reckless, Common, Strong) (15)

Psychological Limitation (Flighty, Common, Moderate) (10)

Social Limitation (Secret Identity, Seraphine Byrne, Frequently, Major) (15)

Distinctive Feature (Mutant, Not Concealable, Always Noticed, Only Detectable with Unusual Sense) (10)

Vulnerability (Water Attacks, 1.5x Body Damage, Common) (10)

Hunted (Holocaust, More Powerful, Infrequently, Harshly Punish) (15)

 

Total: 75 points

 

 

Background: Seraphine Byrne had always been the “it girl.” Her outgoing personality put her squarely in the most popular clique in high school. She was a cheerleader, prom queen during her junior year, and, through her parents connections, a fixture at country club and charity events. True, she wasn’t the best student, but did that really matter?

 

All that changed during Seraphine’s graduation. A plot by Holocaust to gain revenge on the Florida-based hero Microwave led to a battle at the school’s graduation, when minions of the supervillain attempted to kidnap Microwave’s daughter. The battle resulted in the death of the hero, and the subsequent explosion of his body killed his daughter, one henchman, and engulfed Seraphine. Surprisingly, Seraphine was uninjured and she felt wave of power in her body. She found she could convert this new energy into fire, and used this ability to drive off the remaining super-powered thug. Afterwards, she collapsed and the authorities assumed Microwave’s sacrifice had saved most of the hostages. Seraphine did not speak up, out of a fear of what happened and also the belief that it might have been simply a fantasy born out of shock.

 

But over the next few weeks, Seraphine found that she did, in fact, have superpowers. They were all flame-based and she, incorrectly, believed that she had absorbed some of Microwave’s power when he was destroyed. She now faced the question of what to do with her abilities. Should she hide them and go back to a normal life or should she use them to stop people like the criminals that had ruined her graduation, killing a friend and the hero that tried to save everyone? It wasn’t a choice she hesitated over. Seraphine craved excitement and loved feeling special, and superpowers now gave her the chance to experience both on a much larger scale than in her previous life.

 

Byrne created a costume and the identity of Flamewave when she moved away to attend college in Atlanta. At first she had no intention of really focusing on her classes, but she found she really had no skill at investigating crimes. Flying around blasting street thugs with fire was fun, but it wasn’t really a challenge. She decided to focus on her studies, taking as many criminology classes as she could. Flamewave reasoned that if she could teach herself to be an investigator, she could figure out what happened at her graduation and avenge Microwave’s death. Though she learned some investigative techniques and basic criminology, studying bored her. And she ultimately learned more about the attack on her school through luck than anything else. While trying to stop a daring heist of police equipment in the heart of Atlanta, Flamewave encountered the same hireling of Holocaust that survived the battle with Microwave. After some persuasion, involving both her personal charm and, then, her flame blasts, Flamewave learned that Holocaust was behind the attack.

 

Determined to bring the fiend to justice, Seraphine dropped out of school entirely and tracked him to Millennium City. There she found a job as a receptionist and began to operate as Flamewave, hoping to lure Holocaust out or to happen on to more clues about his organization. So far she hasn’t been so successful, though she has had some run-ins with local heroes who don’t appreciate her particular approach to crimefighting.

 

Personality: Even prior to her transformation, Seraphine’s personality was accurately described as fiery. Charming, outgoing, and always eager to try new things, she aspired to be the center of attention wherever she was. As Flamewave, these traits are magnified to the extreme, as the heroine loves to grandstand in front of bystanders, television cameras, and, especially, other heroes. Her love of attention makes her very reckless, and Flamewave never admits to the possibility that she might be overmatched by either a situation or a criminal. Her heroic operations are rarely planned, and she depends mostly on the same good fortune that has blessed her most of her life to guide her crimefighting. Flamewave is also very fickle and her interests change from day to day. Her favorite music shifts rapidly. She rarely finishes reading a book before she moves on to an entirely different genre. One day she seems to aspire to be a great detective, only to abandon any investigations she undertakes to simply fly around the city and be seen. This flightiness infects most aspects of her personality, and can sometimes even make her somewhat indecisive. Occasionally her confident, preening persona will show darker edges, a consequence of witnessing the death of Microwave and his daughter. This incident is also the primary reason that Flamewave refuses to rule out the use of lethal force, if she thinks it is necessary to prevent the loss of innocent life. Fortunately, a situation like this has yet to arise.

 

Powers: Despite her beliefs about the origin of her powers, Flamewave is a mutant whose latent powers as a fire controller were awakened by the shock of seeing Microwave explode in front of her. She is immune to fire damage and intense heat, and has the ability to project bursts of flame of varying intensity levels. She can shoot fire accurately at long range or emit flames from her body in all directions at short range. Flamewave can also surround herself in yellow flames and fly, which is one of her favorite pastimes. She finds soaring through the sky intoxicating, especially if she can make it seem as though she is out of control.

 

Appearance: Seraphine Byrne is used to imagining herself the most attractive woman in any room and she has good reason. Blessed with a pleasing figure, long naturally red hair, and an almost musical voice, Seraphine rarely lacks admirers. Her exhibitionist tendencies extend to her identity as Flamewave and her costume is far from modest, drawing a raised eyebrow even among the superheroine set. Flamewave wears a very low cut yellow outfit that ends in a miniskirt. A small yellow mask covers her eyes, preserving her secret identity, and her gloves, belt, and boots are red.

 

Notes: Ugh. This might be my worst background story ever. I couldn't get it right. Edit: Condensed it slightly.

[tarragon]

Re: Flamewave

 

I really only looked at Bluebird and Amethyst.

 

Both are described as inexperienced with their powers. They both have similar multi-power with a few different versions of their main attack. This may be just me, but I tend to treat those kinds of multiple variation multi-powers as a way to represent advanced control over powers which they wouldn't necessarily have being new to their powers. I, again just me, would have given them a bit more raw power and lost the MP completely. Then as the first 10 XP roll in I would re-add the multi-power and another slot. Bluebird might lose the multi-power and end up with a single 15DC attack. She would learn to spread for plusses to hit and maybe leave some other tricks like bouncing the attack and some other tricks while she's earning those first XP.

 

You already have the power skill, that's really good and a great justification for buying other powers over time.

 

BB has all and Amethyst has most of their attacks with gestures. That's OK but you need to understand how much that can hurt if they get grabbed or entangled. They will be unable to escape an entangle or a (hero level) grab without help.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I'm aware of the gestures weakness. It might be crippling in play, but I do think it makes sense. I can't imagine a typical energy projector being able to shoot their blasts if they are all tied up. Those with burst abilities (like Amethyst and Flamewave) could use those. It's something I would need to play out to see if mechanics should trump concept a little.

 

Based on my M&M experience, I think it would be hard to play a character with just one blast as their only power. That's why I went with the multipower. Bluebird and Amethyst might be relatively new heroes, but they are built with the 400 point base. I think Teen heroes, built on a smaller base, might be more indicative of heroines that have only 1-2 abilities. But you do make a really good point.

[tarragon]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I can't imagine a typical energy projector being able to shoot their blasts if they are all tied up. Those with burst abilities (like Amethyst and Flamewave) could use those. It's something I would need to play out to see if mechanics should trump concept a little.

 

Can you clarify what you expect the gestures to be? Think of it this way, if a blast has gestures the character can't fire it, can't get any energy out at all, if they are simply taped to a chair or even simply in a narrow corridor.

 

Based on my M&M experience' date=' I think it would be hard to play a character with just one blast as their only power. That's why I went with the multipower. Bluebird and Amethyst might be relatively new heroes, but they are built with the 400 point base. I think Teen heroes, built on a smaller base, might be more indicative of heroines that have only 1-2 abilities. But you do make a really good point.[/quote']

 

I don't disagree, having a single blast can really limit your options. But just shooting isn't your only option, look though the combat maneuvers for some other options, there are a ton of combat maneuvers to help mix it up. If you're having problems hitting spread for pluses to hit or set and brace, if you need to smack a dozen agents spread to hit multiple targets or MPA, if you need more damage rapid attack for multiple hits or haymaker. You can disarm, you can cover someone, you can snap shot, hipshot, strafe, or target something in the environment. You can even use the power skill to get a one shot version of a different effect.

 

The other thing to keep in mind, and this is why I recommend this kind of thing to people, is that XP comes fast, generally 2 to 4 a session. You can earn the XP to take a single power to a multipower with 2 powers in just 3 or 4 sessions. I brought up the whole inexperienced thing simply because I picture inexperienced characters not knowing all the aspects of they power at the beginning and they grow by gaining versatility. Other characters start with versatility and gain raw power. Neither is right or wrong and if this feels right build it this way.

 

One new point I noticed. I haven't run or played a 6E campaign yet. I'll probably run one before I play next. I expect OCV and DCV to be lower in 6E than in 5E. My campaign average will probably have averages for heroes around 6. Confirm with a GM or yourself what they expect, but you might be able to save a bunch of point in CVs.

 

That being said, these builds both look like a good well rounded blaster. I would be reluctant to use gestures but even with it they are good and will probably play just fine. Every character needs a good weakness and gestures might be it here.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I imagine most beams/blasts emanating from someone's hand and the gestures being simply the ability to point at a target and fire. If your hands are tied at your side or, even better, you are encased in something, I can't imagine a blaster being able to fire. That's just how I picture it. I've seen villains like Killer Frost tied up in the JLU cartoon before and they don't seem able to just blast away like nothing has happened.

 

As I said, the concept in my head might not match the mechanics in play. That's something I can only learn by playing.

[tarragon]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Gestures is meant for big magicy mystic motions. Power coming from the palm is simply part of the power definition; check out point of origin on 6e1:126.

 

In terms of mechanics someone without gestures frozen in a block of ice up can't just blast away freely but could blast the ice block holding them. An entangle or a grab stops general attacks but powers can still be used on the entangle itself. Not being able to attack freely while tied up isn't gestures on the power, it part of being tied up.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I'm going to buy off gestures if possible with each character.

 

Updated Bluebird to reflect no gestures.

 

Updated Amethyst to not use gestures.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

They both have flight and high offensive combat value. Their attacks are accurate even at range. They can keep their distance from many grounded opponents.

Even when opponent can reach them. They have high defensive combat value DCV and are hard to hit.

Unless they are not with a team, there is room for gestures.

 

Gestures is meant for big magicy mystic motions. Power coming from the palm is simply part of the power definition; check out point of origin on 6e1:126.

 

In terms of mechanics someone without gestures frozen in a block of ice up can't just blast away freely but could blast the ice block holding them. An entangle or a grab stops general attacks but powers can still be used on the entangle itself. Not being able to attack freely while tied up isn't gestures on the power, it part of being tied up.

 

I character can't use Martial Arts and Hay Makers nor combat luck inside entangles.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

I character can't use Martial Arts and Hay Makers nor combat luck inside entangles.

Actually there has been debate over Martial Arts while Entangled. I'm not sure if there has been an official ruling, but I know many people allow, at the very least, Martial Escape, to apply even when entangled.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Actually there has been debate over Martial Arts while Entangled. I'm not sure if there has been an official ruling' date=' but I know many people allow, at the very least, Martial Escape, to apply even when entangled.[/quote']

 

That sounds like one of those common sense/dramatic tension rulings to me. Otherwise, how does The Bride use her one-inch punch to escape from the coffin while buried alive.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

That's kind of my point lapsedgamer. I was responding to someone who said that, by the rules, they weren't allowed at all. I was pointing out that that is not strictly true.

 

On a different note, I think a coffin would be more like a Barrier than an Entangle, thought most likely it would just be an object that would never be statted out unless someone had to break out of one.

[PamelaIsley]

Re: Pamela Isley's Character Thread

 

Yes, I don't think coffins would come up all that often.